ts of the Reems!
A Huntress of the eyes, by night-time came; and I
cried, "Turn in peace! No time for visit this, meseems."'

But if it must be, and no help, admit Jarir." So 'Adi went forth and
admitted Jarir, who entered saying:--

'Yea, He who sent Mohammed unto men.
A just successor of Islam assigned.
His ruth and his justice all mankind embrace.
To daunt the bad and stablish well-designed.
Verily now, I look to present good,
for man hath ever transient weal in mind.'

Quoth Omar, "O Jarir! keep the fear of Allah before thine eyes, and say
naught save the sooth." And Jarir recited these couplets:--

'How many widows loose the hair, in far Yamamah land,
How many an orphan there abides, feeble of voice and eye,
Since faredst thou, who wast to them instead of father lost
when they like nestled fledglings were, sans power to creep or fly.
And now we hope--since broke the clouds their word and troth with us--
Hope from the Caliph's grace to gain a rain that ne'er shall dry.'

When the Caliph heard this, he said, "By Allah, O Jarir! Omar possesseth
but an hundred dirhams. Ho boy! do thou give them to him!" Moreover, he
gifted Jarir with the ornaments of his sword; and Jarir went forth to
the other poets, who asked him, "What is behind thee?" ["What is thy
news?"] and he answered, "A man who giveth to the poor, and who denieth
the poets; and with him I am well pleased."

DOMINIQUE FRANCOIS ARAGO

(1786-1853)

BY EDWARD S. HOLDEN

Dominique Francois Arago was born February 26th, 1786, near Perpignan,
in the Eastern Pyrenees, where his father held the position of Treasurer
of the Mint. He entered the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris after a
brilliant examination, and held the first places throughout the course.
In 1806 he was sent to Valencia in Spain, and to the neighboring island
of Iviza, to make the astronomical observations for prolonging the arc
of the meridian from Dunkirk southward, in order to supply the basis for
the metric system.

[Illustration: D. FR. ARAGO]

Here begin his extraordinary adventures, which are told with inimitable
spirit and vigor in his 'Autobiography.' Arago's work required him to
occupy stations on the summits of the highest peaks in the mountains of
southeastern Spain. The peasants were densely ignorant and hostile to
all foreigners, so that an escort of troops was required in ma